Vector expanding into Cleveland market, gets new look

PITTSBURGH—Vector Security has acquired American Alert Corp. based in Geneva, Ohio. The acquisition adds 5,000 customers and will help Vector expand into the Cleveland market, according to Art Miller, VP of marketing for Vector, which is based here.

The 5,000 accounts are 70 percent residential, he said.

Also, the company announced this week that it has updated its logo, which dated to 1986, to a more “contemporary” look reflecting its new business strategy. Vector said it is promoting a new company tag line, “Intelligent security tailored for you,” as part of its plan to be “a leading provider of security and security-related solutions tailored to a customer’s specific needs and business objectives.”

Miller told Security Systems News that the former, dark-blue octagon logo hadn’t been updated in more than a quarter century. “The industry and Vector Security have really evolved over that period of time so we wanted to show a more appropriate facing entity for the company,” he said. The new logo is rectangular and appears more streamlined.

Vector recently announced the acquisition of American Alert. “We’ve been in Ohio for a while and serve quite a few areas of Ohio,” Miller told SSN, “and this was just a great fit for us as we look to expand into Cleveland and Erie.”

American Alert was the leading security provider in Ashtabula County, serving the region for more than 20 years. Vector acquired the company’s assets and employees along with the accounts and its Geneva office.

Miller said that office, located near Cleveland, will be Vector’s fifth in the state. It also has Ohio offices in Boardman, Columbus, Mansfield and Youngstown, he said. American Alert’s owners were retiring, so they wanted to sell, Miller said. Vector, which serves 260,000 home and business customers, did not reveal the terms of the acquisition.

Pam Petrow, president and CEO of Vector Security, said in a prepared statement: “Together with the American Alert team, we look forward to sharing additional products, services and support that many American Alert customers have been seeking.”

Miller told SSN: “We’re very excited to bring products such as interactive services [and] video … that they didn't have access to before. American Alert was primarily a very strong burglar and fire alarm company, so we’re now able to bring forward some new technology to customers and the response has been very, very positive.”

Christine Longley, a nine-year veteran of Vector Security, will manage the American Alert branch, Vector said.

Last year, Vector moved into the Hudson Valley of New York for the first time with the acquisition of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-based Hammond Security.